China Continues Crackdown on Corruption by Government Officials

Railway minister gets life for bribery

Chinese authorities sentenced the nation's former railways minister to a de facto sentence of life in prison for bribery even as they launched a probe into the chairman of a major state-run tin producer, as Beijing continues its campaign to stamp out official corruption.

A Chinese court sentenced former railway minister Liu Zhijun to death for bribery and abuse of power but suspended the sentence for two years, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Monday. In China, a death sentence suspended for two years is normally commuted to a life sentence after two years of good behavior.

Mr. Liu admitted to a Beijing courtroom last month to personal graft and malfeasance that prosecutors said enriched his family and friends, his lawyer said at the time.